Twenty three per cent candidates contesting in Assembly elections and 18% of the lok Sabha candidates in Telangana are facing criminal charges, according to two non-governmental organisations campaigning for a cleaner public life.
Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Andhra Pradesh Election Watch, after analysing the self-sworn affidavits of the candidates, have said that as many as 62 candidates or 52% of TRS candidates in the Assembly elections have criminal cases against them followed by TDP’s 28 candidates (39%), Congress’ 34 (30%), BJP’s 15(33%), and YSR Congress’ 21 (23%).
Same is the story of lok Sabha elections in which there are 265 candidates in the fray in Telangana. 12% of them or 33 candidates are facing serious criminal charges including murder or attempt to murder, crime against women and kidnapping charges.
The list of lok Sabha candidates with the criminal cases includes 6 of the 16 Congress candidates, 7 of the 17 TRS candidates, 3 of the 9 TDP candidates, 3 of the 13 YSR Congress candidates. Four of the 8 BJP candidates also have criminal cases against them.
Election Commission has declared 11 of the 17 lok Sabha candidates in Telangana as Red Alert constituencies. It means that three or more candidates in these constituencies have criminal cases against them.
Uppal Assembly constituency in Hyderabad has the distinction of being the Red Alert constituency with as many as 7 contestants with criminal records against them.
V Veresham of the TRS in Nakrekal and M Chandrashekar of the TDP in Jadcherla in Mahbubnagar district are facing murder charges and 16 other are facing attempt to murder charges.
“The purpose of issuing this report is to create awareness among the masses and help the voters to make an informed choice,” said K Madhav Rao, the former Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh.